It is turning out to be a really lousy week in Major League Baseball for animal lovers.
Cleveland Guardians outfielder Will Brennan got the most regrettable base hit of his life Monday against the Chicago White Sox. In the second inning, Brennan slapped a Jesse Scholtens fastball over to the left side of the infield. Unfortunately, the ball could not have been hit to a worse place as it struck a poor bird that had landed on the infield grass, killing it instantly.
Here is the video.
Cleveland's Will Brennan hit a bird with his line drive single.
"This one actually went by what looked like some sort of deceased animal at shortstop…"- Steve Stone
"They just scooped it out. Oh boy. Well that's too bad."- Jason Benetti pic.twitter.com/vayVs9MvEo
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 22, 2023
Another angle showed a closer look at the moment that Brennan’s line-drive single struck the feathered creature.
Guardians Will Brennan appears to have killed a bird sitting on the infield grass on a base hit, tough week for baseball and our winged friends pic.twitter.com/Oj8FA66T9i
— CJ Fogler 🫡 (@cjzero) May 22, 2023
After the game, which Cleveland won 3-0, Brennan issued an apology for the incident over Twitter and even tagged PETA in his post.
“I truly am sorry @peta and bird enthusiasts,” Brennan tweeted. “An unfortunate sacrifice.”
I truly am sorry @peta and bird enthusiasts. An unfortunate sacrifice. https://t.co/eE7UsdBEk6
— Will Brennan (@Silly_Willy18) May 23, 2023
The unintentional slaying took place just a few days after Arizona pitcher Zac Gallen also accidentally killed another bird with a warmup throw before a game (video here). What are the odds that two such incidents would occur in MLB games in the span of less than a week?
Brennan, 25, has been the Guardians’ regular right fielder this season and is contributing with both his bat and his defense. But he isn’t risking becoming known as a George Costanza-esque butcher and is apologizing for the bird incident right away.
